BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semifinals of the Barcelona Open after beating fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (5), 6-4 on Friday.
Alcaraz broke Fokina’s serve for the second time in the final game to clinch the victory on the Rafa Nadal center court.
Alcaraz had lost three straight games toward the end of the first set before prevailing in the tiebreaker.
The second-ranked Alcaraz has a semifinal against 12th-seeded Daniel Evans or 15th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo.
Second-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the last four with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Alex de Minaur for his 19th win of the season — and ninth straight over the Australian in his career.
“My patience was there. I knew that was the foundation of the match,” Tsitsipas said. “I am satisfied with my return game, especially towards the end. I found myself in a very good position to press early on.”
Tsitsipas will play in the semifinals against ninth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti, who received a walkover from fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner.
“Sad to have to withdraw from my match today in Barcelona,” Sinner said. “I’ve been feeling unwell for a few days now. Today, the sickness got worse and I’m not able to play. I’ll take some time to rest and recover.”
Tsitsipas was a finalist in Barcelona in 2018 and 2021, both times losing to Rafael Nadal.
